the heir of redclyffe-第21章

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'For　a'　that　and　a'　that；'　said　Charles；　as　Amy　led　him　into　the　

drawing…room。



'You　are　sure　the　reading　is　the　only　reason？'　said　Amy。'　



'He's　quite　absurd　enough　for　it；'　said　Charles；　but　'absurd'　was　

pronounced　in　a　way　that　made　its　meaning　far　from　annoying　even　to　

Guy's　little　champion。



Guy　came　in　the　next　moment；　and　running　lightly　up…stairs　after　Mrs。　

Edmonstone；　found　her　opening　the　dressing…room　door；　and　asked　if　he　

might　come　in。



'By　all　means；'　she　said；　'I　am　quite　ready　for　one　of　our　twilight　

talks。'



'I　am　afraid　I　have　vexed　Mr。　Edmonstone；'　began　Guy；　'and　I　am　very　

sorry。'



'He　was　only　afraid　that　something　might　have　occurred　to　vex　you；　

which　you　might　not　like　to　mention　to　him；'　said　Mrs。　Edmonstone；　

hesitating　a　little。



'Me！　　What　could　I　have　done　to　make　him　think　so？　　I　am　angry　with　no　

one　but　myself。　　The　fact　is　only　this；　the　hunting　is　too　pleasant；　it　

fills　up　my　head　all　day　and　all　night；　and　I　don't　attend　rightly　to　

anything　else。　　If　I　am　out　in　the　morning　and　try　to　pay　for　it　at　

night；　it　will　not　do；　I　can　but　just　keep　awake　and　that's　all；　the　

Greek　letters　all　seem　to　be　hunting　each　other；　the　simplest　things　

grow　difficult；　and　at　last　all　I　can　think　of；　is　how　near　the　minute　

hand　of　my　watch　is　near　to　the　hour　I　have　set　myself。　　So；　for　the　

last　fortnight；　every　construing　with　Mr。　Lascelles　has　been　worse　than　

the　last；　and　as　to　my　Latin　verses；　they　were　beyond　everything　

shocking；　so　you　see　there　is　no　making　the　two　things　agree；　and　the　

hunting　must　wait　till　I　grow　steadier；　if　I　ever　do。　　Heigho！　　It　is　a　

great　bore　to　be　so　stupid；　for　I　thoughtBut　it　is　of　no　use　to　talk　

of　it！'



'Mr。　Edmonstone　would　be　a　very　unreasonable　guardian；　indeed；　to　be　

displeased；'　said　his　friend；　smiling。　　You　say　you　stopped　the　

purchase　of　the　horse。　　Why　so？　　Could　you　not　keep　him　till　you　are　

more　sure　of　yourself？'



'Do　you　think　I　might？'　joyously　exclaimed　Guy。　　'I'll　write　to　Philip　

this　minute　by　the　post。　　Such　a　splendid　creature：　it　would　do　you　

good　to　see　itsuch　actionsuch　a　necksuch　spirit。　　It　would　be　a　

shame　not　to　secure　it。　　But　nono'　and　he　checked　himself　

sorrowfully。　　'I　have　made　my　mind　before　that　I　don't　deserve　it。　　If　

it　was　here；　it　would　always　have　to　be　tried：　if　I　heard　the　hounds　I　

don't　know　I　should　keep　from　riding　after　them；　whereas；　now　I　can't；　

for　William　won't　let　me　take　Deloraine。　　No；　I　can't　trust　myself　to　

keep　such　a　horse；　and　not　hunt。　　It　will　serve　me　right　to　see　Mr。　

Brownlow　on　it；　and　he　will　never　miss　such　a　chance！'　and　the　depth　of　

his　sigh　bore　witness　to　the　struggle　it　cost　him。



'I　should　not　like　to　use　anyone　as　you　use　yourself；'　said　Mrs。　

Edmonstone；　looking　at　him　with　affectionate　anxiety；　which　seemed　

suddenly　to　change　the　current　of　his　thought；　for　he　exclaimed　

abruptly'Mrs。　Edmonstone；　can　you　tell　me　anything　about　my　mother？'



'I　am　afraid　not；'　said　she；　kindly；　'you　know　we　had　so　little　

intercourse　with　your　family；　that　I　heard　little　but　the　bare　facts。'



'I　don't　think；'　said　Guy；　leaning　on　the　chimneypiece；　'that　I　ever　

thought　much　about　her　till　I　knew　you；　but　lately　I　have　fancied　a　

great　deal　about　what　might　have　been　if　she　had　but　lived。'



It　was　not　Mrs。　Edmonstone's　way　to　say　half　what　she　felt；　and　she　

went　on'Poor　thing！　I　believe　she　was　quite　a　child。'



'Only　seventeen　when　she　died；'　said　Guy。



Mrs。　Edmonstone　went　to　a　drawer；　took　out　two　or　three　bundles　of　old　

letters；　and　after　searching　in　them　by　the　fire…light；　said'Ah！　

here's　a　little　about　her；　it　is　in　a　letter　from　my　sister…in…law；　

Philip's　mother；　when　they　were　staying　at　Stylehurst。'



'Who？　　My　father　and　mother？'　cried　Guy　eagerly。



'Did　you　not　know　they　had　been　there　three　or　four　days？'



'NoI　know　less　about　them　than　anybody；'　said　he；　sadly：　but　as　Mrs。　

Edmonstone　waited；　doubtful　as　to　whether　she　might　be　about　to　make　

disclosures　for　which　he　was　unprepared；　he　added；　hastily'I　do　know　

the　main　facts　of　the　story；　I　was　told　them　last　autumn；'　and　an　

expression　denoting　the　remembrance　of　great　suffering　came　over　his　

face；　then；　pausing　a　moment；　he　said'I　knew　Archdeacon　Morville　had　

been　very　kind。'



'He　was　always　interested　about　your　father；'　said　Mrs；　Edmonstone；　

'and　happening　to　meet　him　in　London　some　little　time　after　his　

marriage；　hehe　was　pleased　with　the　manner　in　which　he　was　behaving　

then；　thoughtthought'　And　here；　recollecting　that　she　must　not　

speak　ill　of　old　Sir　Guy；　nor　palliate　his　son's　conduct；　poor　Mrs。　

Edmonstone　got　into　an　inextricable　confusionall　the　worse　because　

the　fierce　twisting　of　a　penwiper　in　Guy's　fingers　denoted　that　he　was　

suffering　a　great　trial　of　patience。　　She　avoided　the　difficulty　thus：　

'It　is　hard　to　speak　of　such　things　when　there　is　so　much　to　be　

regretted　on　both　sides；　but　the　fact　was；　my　brother　thought　your　

father　was　harshly　dealt　with　at　that　time。　　Of　course　he　had　done　very　

wrong；　but　he　had　been　so　much　neglected　and　left　to　himself；　that　it　

seemed　hardly　fair　to　visit　his　offence　on　him　as　severely　as　if　he　had　

had　more　advantages。　　So　it　ended　in　their　coming　to　spend　a　day　or　two　

at　Stylehurst；　and　this　is　the　letter　my　sister…in…law　wrote　at　the　

time：



'〃Our　visitors　have　just　left　us；　and　on　the　whole　I　am　much　better　

pleased　than　I　expected。　　The　little　Mrs。　Morville　is　a　very　pretty　

creature；　and　as　engaging　as　long　flaxen　curls；　apple…blossom　

complexion；　blue　eyes；　and　the　sweetest　of　voices　can　make　her；　so　full　

of　childish　glee　and　playfulness；　that　no　one　would　stop　to　think　

whether　she　was　lady…like　any　more　than　you　would　with　a　child。　　She　

used　to　go　singing　like　a　bird　about　the　house　as　soon　as　the　first　

strangeness　wore　off；　which　was　after　her　first　game　of　play　with　Fanny　

and　Little　Philip。　　She　made　them　very　fond　of　her；　as　indeed　she　would　

make　every　one　who　spent　a　day　or　two　in　the　same　house　with　her。　　I　

could　almost　defy　Sir　Guy　not　to　be　reconciled　after　one　sight　of　her　

sweet　sunny　face。　　She　is　all　affection　and　gentleness；　and　with　

tolerable　training　anything　might　be　made　of　her；　but　she　is　so　young　

in　mind　and　manners；　that　one　cannot　even　think　of　blaming　her　for　her　

elopement；　for　she　had　no　mother；　no　education　but　in　music；　and　her　

brother　seems　to　have　forced　it　on；　thrown　her　in　Mr。　Morville's　way；　

and　worked　on　his　excitable　temperament；　until　he　hurried　them　into　

marriage。　　Poor　little　girl；　I　suppose　she　little　guesses　what　she　has　

done；　but　it　was　very　pleasant　to　see　how　devotedly　attached　he　seemed　

to　her；　and　there　was　something　beautiful　in　the　softening　of　his　

impetuous　tones　when　he　said；　'Marianne；'　and　her　pride　in　him　was　very　

pretty；　like　a　child　playing　at　matronly　airs。〃'



Guy　gave　a　long；　heavy　sigh；　brushed　away　a　tear；　and　after　a　long　

silence；　said；　'Is　that　all？'



'All　that　I　like　to　read　to　you。　　Indeed；　there　is　no　more　about　her；　

and　it　would　be　of　no　use　to　read　all　the　reports　that　were　going　

about。Ah！　here；'　said　Mrs。　Edmonstone；　looking　into　another　letter；　

'she　speaks　of　your　father　as　a　very　fine　young　man；　with　most　generous　

impulses；'but　here　again　she　was　obliged　to　stop；　for　the　next　

sentence　spoke　of　'a　noble　character　ruined　by　mismanagement。'　　'She　

never　saw　them　again；'　continued　Mrs。　Edmonstone；　'Mr。　Dixon；　your　

mother's　brother；　had　great　influence　with　your　father；　and　made　

matters　worseso　much　worse；　that　my　brother　did　not　feel　himself　

justified　in　having　any　more　to　do　with　them。'



'Ah！　he　went　to　America；'　said　Guy；　'I　don't　know　any　more　about　him　

except　that　he　came　to　the　funeral　and　stood　with　his　arms　folded；　not　

choosing　to　shake　hands　with　my　poor　grandfather。'　　After　another　

silence　he　said；　'Will　you　read　that　again？'　and